Depositor



Aug. 12, 1952 SHEPLER 2,606,509

DEPOSITOR Filed Dec. 8, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR R053 SHEPLER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE marosrroa Ross Shepler, Hershey, Pa. 7 Application December s, 1949, Serial No. 131,815 1 1 4 Claims.

This invention relates to depositors which are used for a variety of purposes, such for example, as in confection making; and particularly to depositors of this type which are automatic in operation and adjustable as to the quantity of material to be deposited.

I am aware that many types of depositors have heretofore been proposed for one purpose or another, and that for some purposes at least certain of them have been successful. However, there are some situations, such as I am about to describe, wherein truly successful depositors have not heretofore been proposed. In the manufacture of certain confections-for example, confectionery cups in which there is deposited a semi-viscous substance such as peanut butterconsiderable difliculty has been experienced in accurately depositing the proper amount of such substance at a rate of speed which is acceptable from a commercial standpoint.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a depositor of the type described which not only is automatic in operation and adjustable as to the quantity to be deposited; but one which will rapidly and accurately work with such semi-viscous substances as peanut butter, etc., although by no means limited thereto.

Another object is the attainment of the foregoing objectives in a device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, install, operate and maintain.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative of one of possibly several Ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view illus- T 2 tom of this vessel or container, there is a dispensing (or depositing) orifice 3. the axis of which is vertical and which may be of any suitable cross-section.

For most commercial purposes, it would be desirable to construct the vessel or container of elongate form and provide it with a series of iongitudinally aligned dispensing (or depositing) orifices 3.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the material which is to receive the deposits will, of course, be disposed under the orifice (or orifices) in rapid succession; and if, as suggested, they be in multiplicity, the material which is to receive the deposits will be fed thereunder in corresponding fashion.

In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a rotatable shaft 4 is disposed longitudinally of the vessel or container 2 and in horizontal relationship with respect thereto at a position which is substantially above the dispensing orifice 3 and oiT-set from the axis of the latter, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

Secured to the horizontal shaft 4, for conjoint rotation therewith, is a cylindrical roll 6, the

.lowermost portion of which occupies a vertical plane along the inner surface of that portion of the axis of the cylindrical roll 6 is important for reasons which will be explained hereinafter.

As shown most clearly, in Figure 1, part of the cylindrical roll 6 is cut away, as at 8, by means of which the removed portion becomes a detachable cap Ill, the outer surface of which is contoured to the periphery of the remainder of said roll.

As shown at M, opposite the cut-away portion 8 of the cylindrical roll 6 and in the inner face. of the detachable cap Hi there is formed a slot it of substantially rectangular cross-section which extends in parallelism with a plane through the axis of the horizontally disposed rotatable shaft 4.

Within the slot I6 which is of rectangular cross-section, there is disposed a correspondingly shaped slidable block 20 having a longitudinal slot 22 which terminates intermediate both of its ends.

A pin or stud member 24 is disposed to extend between the cut-away portion 8 of the cylindrical roll Band the inner face of the detachable cap [0, being secured to either or both of these elements. By being so disposed, the pin 24 extends 3 through the longitudinal slot 22 in the slidable block 20.

Through one end of the slidable block 20, there extends an adjustable stop screw 26 which projects into the adjacent end of the longitudinal slot 22 for a purpose which will be later described.

Disposed between the other end of the longitudinal slot 22 and the right-angularly extending pin 24 is a coil type compression spring 32.

The end of the slidable block 20 which is opposite the one carrying the adjustable stop screw 26 is adapted to project from the slot 16 which is formed between the cut-away portion 8 of the cylindrical roll 6 and the detachable cap ID. This end of the slidable block 20 is provided with a bevelled portion 28 (see Figure 3) on its side which is opposed to the direction of rotation of the cylindrical roll 6.

As shown most clearly in Figure 3, this bevelled portion 28'will movebackwardly into the tangential slot I 8 when the outer end of the slidable block makes contact with the bottom of the vessel 2 and is thereupon made to retract to the periphery of the cylindrical roll 6.

Referring again'to' Figure 3; it will be noted that afiixedto the bottom of the interior of the vessel 2 is a pair of spaced parallel guides 34 provided with planar oppositely disposed surfaces 35 which make contact with the side edges of the slidable block 20 in its conjoint'rotative movement with the cylindrical roll 6. In addition, these guides 34 are provided with planar surfaces 38 for making contactwith the adjacent end portions of the cylindrical roll 6; and also curvilinear portions 40 which engage the contiguous portions of the periphery of said cylindrical roll.

According to the foregoing construction and arrangement, itwill be seen that. as the cylindrical roll Bis rotated in the direction of the arrow in Figure 3, the slidable block 20 will move downwardly in contact with the planar surface 36 of the guides 34, While the immediately adjacent po'rtions of the periphery of the roll ride in the curvilinear portions 40, with the ends of the roll iii-contact with the planar surfaces 38. When a semi-solidsubstance, such as peanut butter, is placed in the vessel 2 immediately above the guides 34, it will, by gravity, tend to fill up the spacebetween the opposing surfaces of the guides and be moved downwardly therebetween and onto the bottom of the vessel 2 by the extending end of the slidable blockZil. When the slidable block 20 comes in contact with the bottom of the vessel 2, there will be disposed between it and the dispensing orifice a formed deposit which will be moved by the adjacent surface of the slidable block into the dispensing orifice 3 from which'it drops onto the article to be dispensed. As the outer edge .of the slidable block 20 moves across thedispensing orifice 3, it will be retracted into approximately flush relationship with respect to the periphery of the cylindrical roll 6.

The adjustable stop screw 26 being screwthreadedly connected with the slidable block 20 and so disposed asto permit its inner end to engage the pin-24 enables the slidable block 26 to be adjustably withdrawn into the cutaway portion 8 of the cylindrical roll 6 against the influence of the compression spring 32. This adjustment; therefore, enables the corresponding adjustment of the outer end of the slidable block 20 withitsbeveled' portion 28 with respect to the periphery ofthe' cylindrical roll 6, and, correspondingly, the bottom of that portion of the vessel or container 2 which is adjacent the dispensing orifice 3.

The teachings of the invention contemplate the spacing of the cylindrical roll 6 upwardly with respect to the adjacent portion of the bottom of the vessel 2 a distance of between .001 and .005 of an inch, depending upon the type of semi-solid substance to be deposited. I have found from experience that a distance of .002 of an inch is highly satisfactory when working with peanut butter.

In order to prevent the movement of the outer (bevelled) end of the slidable block 20 downwardly into the dispensing orifice 3 in the bottom of the vessel 2, it is contemplated that the dispensing orifice be of suitable size or cross-section. That is, the dispensing orifice might be of circular contour and of lesser diameter than the width of the outer edge of the slidable block 20.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of the present invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A depositor for semi-viscous substances comprising a vessel; a rotatable cylindrical roll disposed in said vessel; and having its axis of rotation parallel to the bottom thereof; said roll having an elongated recess Whose axis is parallel to a plane extending through the axis of said roll; a slidable member disposed .in said recess, means for resiliently urging said slidable member outwardly from the recess in such a manner that a portion of said member projects beyond the periphery of the roll for a predetermined distance; means for regulating said distance; said roll being disposed at its lowermost portion substantially tangential to the bottom of said vessel; a pair of guides adjacent the bottom of said vessel; said guides providing parallel surfaces for engaging the sides of said sliding member; said guides extending at least to the line of substantial tangency between said roll and said bottom; the bottom of said vessel having an orifice; said orifice being disposed'at least Within the area between said guide members, the line of substantial tangency, and the point of initial contact between said slidable member and said bottom.

2. A depositorforsemi-viscous substances comprising a vessel; a rotatable cylindrical roll disposedin said vessel and having its axis of rotation parallel to the bottom thereof; said roll having an elongated recess whose axis is parallel to a plane extending through the axis of said roll; a slidable member disposed in said recess; means for resiliently urging said slidable member outwardly from the recess in such a manner that a portion of said member projects beyond the periphery of the roll for a predetermined distance; said means including an elongated slot within that portion of the slidable member which does not project beyond the periphery of the .roll, a stud member attached to said roll and extending through said slot, and a spring positioned within the slot between said stud member and that end of said slot nearest the projecting portion of said slidable member; means for regulating said distance; said roll being disposed at its lowermost portion substantially tangential to the bottom of said vessel; a pair of guides adjacent the bottom of said vessel; said guides providing parallel surfaces for engaging the sides of said sliding member; said guides extending at least to the line of substantial tangency between said roll and said bottom; the bottom of said vessel having an orifice; said orifice being disposed at least within the area between said guide members, the line of substantial tangency, and the point of initial contact between said slidable member and said bottom.

3. A depositor for semi-viscous substances comprising a vessel; a rotatable cylindrical roll disposed in said vessel and having its axis of rotation parallel to the bottom thereof; said roll having an elongated recess whose axis is parallel to a plane extending through the axis of said roll; a slidable member disposed in said recess; means for resiliently urging said slidable member outwardly from the recess in such a manner that a portion of said member projects beyond the periphery of the roll for a predetermined distance; said means including an elongated slot within that portion of the slidable member not projecting beyond the periphery of the roll, a stud member attached to said roll and extending through said slot, and a spring positioned within the slot between said stud member and that end of said slot nearest the projecting portion of said slidable member; means for regulating said distance; said last-named means comprising a stop screw threadedly attached at one end to the slidable member and having a free portion projecting into said slot; the end of said free portion being adapted to engage said aforementioned stud member; said roll being disposed at its lowermost portion substantially tangential to the bottom of said vessel; a pair of guides adjacent the bottom of said vessel; said guides providing parallel surfaces for engaging the sides of said sliding member; said guides extending at least to the line of substantial tangency between said roll and said bottom; the bottom of said vessel having an orifice; said orifice being disposed at least within the area between said guide members, the line of substantial tangency, and the point of initial contact between said slidable member and said bottom.

4. A depositor for semi-viscous substances comprising a vessel; a rotatable cylindrical roll disposed in said vessel, and having its axis of rotation parallel to the bottom thereof; said roll comprising two joined sections, one of which is larger than the other; said sections, when joined, providing an elongated recess therebetween; said recess having an axis which is parallel to a plane extending through the axis of said roll; a slidable member disposed in said recess, means for resiliently urging said slidable member outwardly from the recess in such a manner that a portion of said member projects beyond the periphery of the roll for a predetermined distance; means for regulating said distance; said roll being disposed at its lowermost portion substantially tangential to the bottom of said vessel; a pair of guides adjacent the bottom of said vessel; said guides providing parallel surfaces for engaging the sides of said sliding member; said guides extending at least to the line of substantial tangenoy'between said roll and said bottom; the bottom of said vessel having an orifice; said orifice being disposed at least within the area between said guide members, the line of substantial tangency, and the point of initial contact between said slidable member and said bottom.

ROSS SHEPLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 709,597 Frank Sept. 23, 1902 1,290,251 Leiman Jan. 7, 1919 

